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America in Color:

Japan's Surrender in WWII Ushered in a New World Order

Japan's Surrender in WWII Ushered in a New World Order

Short | 02:00

On September 2, 1945, Japan delivered its unconditional surrender in WWII. Twelve million American troops went home as civilians, to work and raise families--ushering the U.S. into a new age of global leadership.

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It was an American era defined by a world war that united a nation and triggered an economic boom, but also unleashed fear and prejudice. This is the story of the 1940s like it's never been seen before, thanks to digital colorization technology. Watch our transformation from an isolated country to a global superpower, captured by rarely seen footage of the Pearl Harbor attacks, home movies behind the barbed wire fences of Japanese American internment camps, and newsreels of post-war celebration, discontentment, and growing prosperity.